Seth MacFarlane sparked criticism after he made jokes viewers called "offensive" and sung a song about actresses' breasts when hosting this year's Oscars ceremony. He also brought in the largest TV audience the awards had attracted for three years, with a 20 per cent increase in the number of 18 to 34-year-olds watching.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Meron said: "We were really proud of Seth MacFarlane, he did an amazing job." Praising MacFarlane's "irreverence", the producer said he commented on "things that happen in our culture".

MacFarlane joked about British singer Adele's weight and about domestic violence, referring to singer Chris Brown, who pleaded guilty to assault of his girlfriend Rihanna, the pop star.

MacFarlane was brought in by Oscars executives to give the awards ceremony a more contemporary feel. Meron said the comedian achieved this, saying he made the Oscars "part of the cultural conversation".

When questioned about the 'Boobs Song', Meron said that those who complained misunderstood that the joke wasn't about women, but about MacFarlane being "a juvenile, which is why he was a bad host".

He added: "Everyone who complained missed the joke – it was satire."

Meron and Zadan previously defended MacFarlane after he made a Hitler joke about best foreign film nominee, Amour. They said MacFarlane had been in rehearsals for the show daily, and that there was no backup plan in place: "There's no oversized red button. Seth is Seth, and we love him."